6:31pm Friday 20th November 2009
By Emily Allen
PUDSEY fans pulled out all the stops – and spots – to raise thousands of pounds for this year’s Children in Need.
Pyjama wearing, custard gunging and spotty fancy dress were among the eye-catching stunts staged by schools, businesses and community groups across the county in aid of the annual appeal today.
The county has always played its part in helping to raise more than £525m for disadvantaged children and young people in the UK since the first appeal was held in 1980.
Children at RAF Benson’s Old Station Nursery started their day by pouring buckets of custard on to nursery nurses Catherine Heyworth and Katrina Shearer in the school sandpit.
Parents, children and colleagues paid £1 for the privilege and £5 for a larger bucket, raising more than £200.
Ms Heyworth said: “It’s not an experience I would like to do again.
“It was a bit sticky. The children loved it, some of them were a bit scared, but others thought it was great fun.
“I had my goggles on so I couldn’t see anything after the first bucket.”
At New Marston Primary School bedtime came earlier than normal as hundreds of children swapped their school uniform for pyjamas for the day.
And at Segais Hair Design in Broadway, Didcot, staff forced manager Michelle Pierson, 38, to dress as a Las Vegas showgirl ahead of her holiday to Sin City in March.
She said: “The staff all ganged up of me. I keep on texting them to tell them how many days before I go to Vegas, and they had finally had enough of it.”
At Woodstock Primary School, children covered themselves in Pudsey-style spots and covered a giant paper Pudsey bear in coins in a bid to top last year’s £300 fundraising total.
Organiser Angela Prior said: “Some of the children had spots on their shorts and spots on their faces and we asked them to donate at least a £1.
“They had a great time.”
At Icknield Community College, teenagers performed for Pudsey in their own X Factor-style talent show.
The performers went on stage in front of hundreds of their peers, teachers and visitors.
Acts in the running for the final included 15-year-old hip-hop dancer Esme Beale and all singing all dancing girl group Joey.
Head girl Nadia Howden, 16, who organised the event with the school’s prefects, said: “We’ve been running the show for the last few days with heats for the lower school and upper school and there were four finalists.
“The dancer Esme was really good, she taught herself. We are hoping we will raise about £500.”
The winner was singer Holly Blake, 12.
As tonight’s BBC programme air, 150 call centre workers at British Gas at the Oxford Business Park will end the day by going back to work, manning phonelines between 6.30pm and 12.30am.
Organiser Yvonne Milson said: “We are the only call centre taking part in the Oxford area. Everyone was really excited about it, there was a real buzz around the office.”
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